Luka Doncic officially made his debut with the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night, giving NBA fans the first look at the new duo of Doncic and LeBron James. Doncic was able to record 14 points, five rebounds and four assists in a 132-113 win over the Utah Jazz, his first game back since suffering a calf injury on Christmas Day.

Finally, Los Angeles was healthy, to an extent, with LeBron and Doncic playing again on Wednesday night against the Jazz. But in the first half, the Lakers lost another starter due to injury.

According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, starting center Jaxson Hayes has been ruled out for the second half of the game after suffering a facial contusion in the first. “Jaxson Hayes will not return for the second half because of a facial contusion, the Lakers say,” McMenamin wrote on X.

Jaxson Hayes will not return for the second half because of a facial contusion, the Lakers say. — Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 13, 2025 This injury comes at an unfortunate time for the Lakers.

After trading away Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Doncic, a big hole was left in the low post.

The Lakers initially found their replacement in Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams, but the trade fell through. Fortunately for Los Angeles, they recently signed Alex Len to provide help down low.

The former Phoenix Suns center made his Lakers debut on Wednesday. As for Hayes, the former Texas Longhorns star shouldn’t miss too much time.

At the tail end of the 2022-23 season, Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown suffered a facial contusion but only missed four games. He did, however, have to wear a mask for the rest of the season.

Hayes had been a solid presence for the Lakers as Davis’ backup. In 30 games played this season, he is averaging 5.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game.

But his high motor and athletic ability should mesh well with Doncic and LeBron’s playmaking, once he returns.